Method of securing a drawstring to a flexible bag



July 15, 1957 :LAA DRElsB'Acn-l 2,799,611

METHOD oF SECURING A DRAWSTRING To A FLEXIBLEBAG Filed oct. 9. 1.951

INVENTOR. '.Dquz. A. :amr-sahen BY ai W United States Patent O METHOD OFSECURING A DRAWSTRING TO A FLEXIBLE BAG Dale A. Dreisbach, Akron, OhioApplication October r9, 1951, Serial No. 250,413

3 Claims. (Cl. 154-118) This 'invention relates Ito bags and inparticular relates to a method of securing a drawstring to a iiexiblebag.

'In the past, tdrawstrings have been secured to flexible cloth bags [orpouches by folding over the bag at the area adjacent the opening,inserting the drawstring, and stitch- 'ing the free end of the fold tothe exterior of the bag. This method has been generally employed in themanufacture of bags for cigarette tobacco.

With the advent of the pl-astic film bag, this method was originallyemployed, an elastic stitching thread being used to sew the e-nd of thefold to the exterior of the bag. Because this type of drawstringattachment did not provide the requisite strength required in largertype bags, manufacturers soon replaced the stitching with a heat sealingoperation, in which the end of the fold was sealed tc the exterior ofthe bag.

However, as in the case of all fold-over type of construction, -theinsertion 4of the drawstring within the fold was a cumbersome processwit-h the end result that the product was relatively expensive. Furtherdisadvantage was evident in that the double strength produced by thesealing operation was 4not provided at the most strategic point, namely,at the opening of the bag.

*It is therefore one object of this invention to provide a method ofsecuring a drawstring to a exible bag which will result in ltheproduc-tion of a relatively inexpensive bag lw-ith drawstring.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a method forsecuring a drawstring to a flexible plastic bag wherein the resultantproduct will be characterized by exceptional strength in the area wheresaid drawstring is secured.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a method ofsecuring a drawstring to a flexible plastic bag wherein a grasping tabof reinforcing nature is provided in conjunction with said drawstring.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent uponconsideration of the drawings taken in the light of the following briefspecification.

Of the drawings:

Figure l is a semi-diagrammatic view of a machine which could be used toperform the method of this invention.

Figure 2 is an illustration of a bag made by the method of thisinvention, the same being shown in opened position.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, but showing the bag in closedposition.

Figure 4 is a section taken on the line 4--4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a similar view to Figure 4 but showing a modified form ofthe invention.

Referring now to the drawings for a description of the newly discoveredmethod as accomplished on the machinery diagrammatically set forth inFigure 1, the operator rst determines that a requisite amount of plastictape and drawstring material 11 is provided on the spools 12 and 13,respectively. Having ascertained this, the operator then threads thedrawstring material 11 Mice through pegs 14, 14 on the guide means 15and similarly threads the plastic tape material 10 through pegs 16, 16on the guide means 15, the alignment of the plastic tape 10 and thedrawstring 11 being such that the same are in the same vertical plane asa sealing wheel 20 and a bag supporting means 21.

With the supply of plastic tape 10 and drawstring material 11 in properorder, the operator next turns on the switch (not shown) for therotating sealing wheel 20, which action causes the same simultaneouslyto begin clockwise rotation and become heated. Having waited asufficient time until the sealing wheel 20 has taken on the requisitetemperature necessary for sealing, the operator next positions 'the openend of a plastic bag 26 around thev bag supporting means 21 whichincludes wheel members 22 and 23, having their axes spaced Vat avariable distance by virtue of a spring 24 operable upon a pivotedsupport 25, thereby permitting a varying number of bag openings to beaccommodated on the same bag supporting means 21.

With the bag 26 thus positioned around the wheels 22 and 23 as justdescribed, the operator next draws a length of tape 10 and drawstring 11from the guide means 15 and positions these members so that the same arein aligned relationship with the edge portion of the bag 26 when Ithesame is positioned on wheels 22, 23, so as to be adjacent the sealingwheel 20; it being understood that a space for this purpose will exist,in view of the lever 27 being moved to the left of Figure 1 as a resultof the force afforded by the spring 29. It is preferable that a smallexcess of tape 10 and drawstring 11 be provided below the point oftangential contact of bag 26 with tape 10. ln this manner, when thelever 27 is moved to the right of Figure l to cause the bag` 26 to beshifted into contact with the rotating wheel 20, a free tab, defined bydrawstring 11 and tape 10 will be provided. The film portion of this tabis not sealed to the bag 26 as a result of the initial contact betweenwheel 20 and bag 26.

As long as such contact is made between said wheel 20 and the bag 26, itis manifest that the wheel 20 will in effect, drive the wheel 22 tocause other edge portions of the bag 26 to be rotated into sealingcontact with said wheel 20, whereupon additional tape 10 and drawstring11 will be applied to form a drawstring for the bag 26.

When it is desired to terminate the application of such tape 10 anddrawstring 11 to the bag 26, it is merely necessary to release thehandle 27, at which time the spring 29 will operate to move the wheel 22out of its driven contact with sealing Wheel 20. It is preferred thatsuch driven contact continue, however, until the previously mentionedfree tab end has been passed against the wheel 20 so as to adhere to asecond tab element, defined by tape 10 and drawstring 11 that haveadvanced around the bag 26. In this manner, the two tabs, when adheredtogether, define a grasping tab 30 of reinforced nature that operates toalleviate the strain involved in closing the drawstring.

It can thus be seen that the provision of a method wherein a drawstringis aligned along one face of a plastic tape and subsequently enclosedbetween said tape and the exterior of a bag by virtue of theheat-sealing of the edges of said tape to the exterior of said bag, willresult in an economically produced drawstring type bag of sturdyconstruction.

In Figure 5 there is illustrated a modified form of the inventionwherein a second tape member 40 is added for the purpose of providingadditional strength. This additional tape 40 could either be addedbefore the sealing operation in which the drawstring is enclosed, or thepreviously described operation could be expanded to cover the alignmentof the drawstring 11 between the tape u members 10 and 40 in which casethe remainder of said operation would be identical.

While not specically shown, it is also possible to modify. thisinvention by varying the type of drawstring material or the thickness ofthe tape applied. For 'example, the drawstring could be flat toaccommodate institutional advertising. By the same token, the tape couldbe provided with institutional advertising on one face thereof. For thepurpose of reinforcing the drawstring, it is to be understood that thetape member could be of considerably heavier gauge material than the bagitself in which case additional strength would be obtained adjacent thebag opening.

It similarly follows that the above method could be employed inconjunction with flexible bags made of different material.

Other modifications may be resorted to withou't deviating from thespirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A method of equipping a plastic bag with a drawstring, comprising thesteps of aligning said drawstring along one face of a plastic tapemember; positioning at least one portion of said aligned drawstring andplastic tape in contact with a selected area of said plastic bag;securing the opposed edge portions of said plastic tape member to saidplastic bag adjacent the opening thereof, by application of heat to saidplastic bag, whereby said drawstring is movably retained between theexterior of said bag and said tape, such securing of said edge portionsbeing progressive, whereby said drawstring and said plastic tape alignedtherewith are progressively attached to said bag as a unit.

2. The method of claim 1, further characterized by the fact that thelongitudinal end portions of said tape are heat sealed together andextend freely from the balance of said plastic tape that is secured tosaid plastic bag, whereby a grasping tab is provided.

3. A method of securing a drawstring to a selected area of a flexiblebag, comprising the steps of aligning said drawstring with respect to aflexible retaining strip; progressively advancing the longitudinal edgeportion of said retaining strip into contact with said selected area,progressively heat sealing said longitudinal opposed edge portions ofsaid advancing retaining strip to said selected area whereby saiddrawstring is enclosed between said retaining strip.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re.13,017 Stryker Aug. 31, 1909 781,821 Glenwright Feb. 7, 1905 960,432Stryker lune 7, 1910 2,126,833 Steinberger Aug. 16, 1938 2,307,406Howard Jan. 5, 1943 2,384,462 Goodman v Sept. 11, 1945 2,656,769Hultkrans Oct. 27, 1953

1. A METHOD OF EQUIPPING A PLASTIC BAG WITH DRAWSTRING, COMPRISING THESTEPS OF ALIGNING SAID DRAWSTRING ALONG ONE FACE OF A PLASTIC TAPMEMBER; POSITIONING AT LEAST ONE PORTION OF SAID ALIGNED DRAWING ANDPLASTIC TAPE IN CONTACT WITH A SELECTED AREA OF SAID PLASTIC BAG;SECURING THE OPPOSED EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID PLASTIC TAPE MEMBER TO SAIDPLASTIC BAG ADJACENT THE OPENING THEREOF, BY APPLICATION OF HEAT TO SAIDPLASTIC BAG, WHEREBY SAID DRAWSTRING IS MOVABLY RETAINED BETWEEN THEEXTERIOR OF SAID BAG AND SAID TAPE, SUCH SECURING OF SAID EDGE PORTIONSBEING PROGRESSIVE, WHEREBY SAID DRAWSTRING AND SAID PLASTIC TAPE ALIGNEDTHEREWITH ARE PROGRESSIVSELY ATTACHED TO SAID BAG AS A UNIT.